and good morning, america. on the west coast. we're live right now covering those dramatic developments in africa. taken by a group of islamist militants. they're involved in a dangerous battle right now. >> the british prime minister is calling it an ongoing situation in algeria. governments around the world are watching this carefully trying to get information. martha rad das is with the u.s. defense secretary in itly. but first, abc's brian ross is here with the latest breaking details. >> reporter: the british foreign aufszer tells abc news, in the last few hours, the algerian has launched an operation to free the hostages.

eyewitness accounts describe a helicopter assault and number of fatalities of both hostages and terrorists. none of which can be confirmed by abc news. intelligence officials say the situation is tense. >> it is a very serious matter when americans are taken hostage, along with others. >> reporter: the terror strike came without warning wednesday morning, when an estimated 20 gunmen, first attacked a bus carrying workers, escorted by two cars carrying security teams. at least one worker was killed. then, the terrorists moved on to the compound, where they are now holed up with the american and other western hostages. intelligence officials believe this is the mastermind of the

attack, mokhtar belmokhtar, a ruthless, rogue al qaeda leader, who also runs an organized crime network that reportedly has made tens of millions of dollars from ransom from kidnappings and smuggling of diamonds, guns and cigarettes. his nickname is mr. marlboro. >> he's very, very cold. very business-like. >> reporter: canadian robert fowler, a former u.n. diplomat in africa, was held for four months until freed in 2009. he says he is a man to be feared. >> i was afraid for my life all the time. i was afraid for my life when i woke up in the morning and when i went to sleep at night. he's a very serious player. >> reporter: from the beginning both the terrorists and the algerian government said there would be no negotiations and that appears to lead to the decision to make a move. >> all right, let's get more from martha raddatz.

good morning, martha. we're so concerned about those american hostages, all of the hostages. any more from the secretary and his team. >> reporter: well, i just spoke to his team just a short time ago and they just do not have any clarity about the situation on the ground. the algerians are clearly in charge. secretary panetta told me a while ago, we're trying to determine what the situation is, you can be assured we're looking at all necessary steps we need to take in order to deal with that situation. i asked him what kind of steps that the americans would take, he said i'm not going to go into that but obviously we're going to look at the situation is and how best address it and how can we bring our military assets to bear in order to deal with it and i think there, george, he's probably talking about surveillance, they certainly don't have boots on the ground as far as we know. so little clarity about this. >> that's the question, whether

the military will get drawn in, because there's the conflict malli. >> i asked secretary panetta about that. and how involved the u.s. will get involved in that. he wants the african nations to take the lead. americans have said they might provide some sort of air support or refueling capabilities. but he made it very clear that the u.s. had no intention of putting boots on the ground there. okay, martha thanks very much. josh? now, to the latest and bizarre story that's breaking about the notre dame superstar manti te'o the individual story of the college football season. but now, it turns out his relationship was an elaborate hoax. we're going to hear from one of the deadspin writers who uncovered this explosive story in just a moment. but first, take a look.

manti te'o, the all-american linebacker at notre dame. was known not just for his play on the field but for his heart off of it. his story of overcoming the loss on the same day, of his grandmother and his girlfriend, lennay kekua. foregoing her funeral to play at michigan. >> how would you describe your emotions on the field tonight? >> they're with me. >> reporter: the fame turned him into a contender for the heisman. and the raw emotion humanized him. >> she made me promise her, you promise that you're still over there and that you'll play. and you know, you will honor me through the way you play. >> reporter: this morning, te'o and notre dame say that while the love and the tears were real, the girlfriend was not. and according to the sports website deadspin, which broke the story, lennay kekua was a hoax. and the picture we all saw of her was actually another woman, who is very much alive and says she doesn't even know te'o. >> this was a very elaborate,

very sophisticated hoax, perpetrated for reasons we can't fully understand. >> reporter: in a statement released overnight, te'o wrote, quote, to realize that i was the victim of what was apparently someone's sick joke and constant lies was, and is, painful and humiliating, end quote. during this fall's football season, notre dame star talked often about the girlfriend he says he knew for years. >> when you have somebody that you talk to every, single day, that you sleep with on the phone because she's -- she is going through a lot of things. and all of a sudden, it hits silence, that silence really eats at you. >> reporter: espn reporter gene wojciechowski interviewed te'o. in october. >> manti was acting that day, then he deserves a half dozen academy awards for that performance. >> reporter: overnight, notre dame's athletic director said the school conducted an independent investigation and believes te'o. >> the thing i am most sad about

is that the single most trusting human being i've ever met will never be able to trust in the same way again in his life. an we're joined by timothy burke, one of the two authors from the sports website, deadspin, that broke the story. what tipped you off to the story? >> we got an e-mail last week that there's something fishy about lennay kekua, manti te'o's alleged girlfriend. you guys should check it out. we found different outlets reporting different days that she had died. we had stories saying they met in 2009. we now know from "the south bend tribune" said today, that brian te'o, manti's father, is the one that told us they met in 2009. that's not true because they never met in person at all. >> again, a year-long hoax. the big question this morning, why would this be perpetrated at all? >> you know, that's a great question, josh. and it's one of those questions that it's so hard to answer. and you think about the amount

of time and energy it would take to pull off this hoax, to be on the phone, to have someone be on the phone that wasn't his friend because he would have recognized his voice, presumably. to send all these messages, the letters that he supposedly sent her, or that she sent him before every football game. all of these things to pull this off. he would not have been able to have his own life because he would have been consumed being this fake woman that was manti te'o's girlfriend. that's why i think a lot of people are suspicious when te'o says he had no idea and he was just the sucker in this because, you know, why would somebody go to such great lengths to hoax him like this? >> as somebody who led this investigation, do you believe that manti te'o was not at all complicit in this hoax? >> i think that there are some questions about when he became aware of it. >> we expect to hear from manti

te'o soon, perhaps as soon as today. what questions, then for you, do you need manti te'o to answer? >> i want to know if he told his father this made-up story about how they met in 2009. and i want to know about the story about how she used to visit him in hawaii, if that was a manti fabrication or something in a brian te'o made up to tell the press. it doesn't matter to me if he was a victim of a hoax or if he was in on it. i really want to know the truth about how the media came to report these things. once the media reports something, it becomes part of the story, even if it's not true. so, how did those things come about? those are the questions i would want to ask manti. >> part of the story, perhaps part of the myth. timothy burke, we appreciate your time this morning. >> thanks, josh. >> what a story. now, to those sweeping new proposals of gun violence from

president obama. the reaction has been swift and fierce from the nra and other gun rights supporters. one governor suggesting they won't enforce proposals even if they become law. jon karl has the story. >> reporter: at a firearms trade show in las vegas wednesday, the reaction to the president's plan was almost universally negative. >> i'm opposed to it. >> i really don't agree with obama. >> reporter: in texas, governor rick perry said he was disgusted by the way the president was using the sandy hook massacre. >> we need to be looking at the mental health issue substantially more than we are using the death of these young children to further a political cause. >> reporter: a texas state representative went further, vowing to write a bill that would make it a felony for anyone in the state to enforce new gun laws. in mississippi, the governor had a similar idea, urging the legislature to prohibit the enforcement of any federal laws obama could get passed. >> i support the current laws. i don't think we need to change

anything at all. >> reporter: the ferocity of the opposition does not surprise the white house. it's been nearly two decades since any new gun laws have been passed. >> we suffered too much pain and we care too much about our children to allow this to continue. >> reporter: ban on assault weapons and require background checks on all gun sales are things the nra is adamantly opposed to and vows to fight. >> there's people that care deeply about their second amendment rights and are not going to vote for politicians who sell them out. >> reporter: in recent polls, a significant majority of the public supports each of the major elements of the president's plan. that's why the white house plans to launch an all-out public campaign to support it, tapping into that grassroots network that helped the president win re-election.

george? >> they're going to need everything they've got. jon karl, thanks. we're going to turn to the potentially severe consequences that lance armstrong faces after his confession to doping in that no-holds-barred interview with oprah that airs tonight. his legal headaches could be about to get a lot worse. abc's neal karlinsky is here in times square studio, for the very first time. >> thank you. very good to be here. >> first time here. but you've been covering lance for a long time. >> for a long time. for a long time. what's amazing here, is even before a shred of this interview has aired, there's been nearly a week of major news coverage about it. and none of it has been good for lance armstrong, which begs the question, what exactly does he expect to get out of this? leading up to the most-anticipated interview in recent history, lance armstrong tells the associated press, i have no idea what the future holds, other than me holding my kids. then, specifically, regarding his confession to oprah, that he did in fact used performance-enhancing drugs -- i left it all on the table with her. and when it airs, the people can decide.

many have already decided. >> i think we all owe cancer an apology. >> reporter: frankie andreu was once armstrong's friend and closest teammate. this morning, he's the first one speaking out. >> he's been lying for years. he's lied to presidents. he's lied to larry king. >> reporter: andreu and his wife, betsy, saw their reputations attacked by armstrong, when they refused to lie under oath. >> i got ripped apart from the livestrong supporters. >> reporter: armstrong's sudden leap of faith is loaded with risks. he's outlasted a statute of limitations for criminal perjury charges for lying under oath. but at least three major civil suits are in the works. meaning a small army of lawyers will be dissecting everything he says. sources tell abc news that if armstrong's interview matches

what he's told people close to him, you can expect a confession that includes the argument that everyone does it, and not just in cycling, but the nfl and elsewhere. we will see tonight and we'll see what people think. >> i don't know. that didn't work with my parents. and it doesn't work with my kids. >> and if he gets too specific, he could face more legal action. >> he is walking a very delicate tightrope here. because he doesn't want to get himself into more trouble. his p.r. nightmare continues. but he doesn't want to pay out more money that he is already likely going to owe. >> neal karlinsky, great to have you here. now, let's turn to josh elliott with the very latest headlines. >> it will be the culmination of a years' long campaign. we're going to begin with more troubles news for boeing's newest plane, the 787 dreamliner. european regulators have now joined the

faa in grounding the planes until overheating batteries can be addressed. yesterday, passengers had to slide down emergency chutes after an emergency landing in japan. this is a huge blow for boeing, which released the following statement, we're confident the 787 is safe and we stand by its overall integrity, end quote. an unusual problem for the u.s. navy overnight. one of its warships, "the uss guardian minesweeper" ran aground. became stuck on a reef in the philippines. no crew members were hurt. right now, they're trying to figure out how to loosen the ship without causing damage to the reef. a utah skier has been released from the hospital four days after being buried alive in an avalanche. she went down in a 700-foot-wide snowslide. she said she felt a strange serenity while trapped under the snow. and her boyfriend managed to free her quickly. but she was already turning purple. >> decided the best situation for me is to meditate and breathe really slowly. it was like i was having a little nap.

and i remember being woken up by sweet kisses. >> it was far more serious, however. she actually stopped breathing. malloy's boyfriend performed cpr, wrapped her in jackets and then slid her down the mountain for some two hours until a rescue helicopter could reach them. also this morning, a $100,000 reward being offered for tips in the burglar known as the ak-47 bandit. he's wanted for holding up five banks across california, washington and idaho, shooting a police officer in the process. however, they didn't need a reward to catch this guy. a burglar in louisiana forgot his mask before breaking into a restaurant. >> what? >> yep. >> no. >> this is a hoax. >> so, he threw a bucket on his head to hide his face. perhaps, not surprisingly, he was arrested a short time later. there are times -- >> a bucket. >> there are no words.

i have no words. oh, sam, save us. >> with a bucket. >> no follow-up. >> i love the mug shot with a bucket. >> good morning, america. hey, by the way, jackson, mississippi, good morning to you. if you get two to four inches of snow out of this, it's one of your top-ten snowfalls ever. let me show you what it looks like north of jackson, look at the snow falling there. we're getting facebook and twitter pictures in. this is mississippi. if you think that chicago looks at these pictures and they feel a little bad and sad and lonely because they've only had an inch of snow, they're about 13 inches below normal. while every snowstorm this season seems to have been targeted in the south. here's who gets snow today. jackson to birmingham. birmingham usually gets 1.5 inches of snow a year. this will be double their yearly snowfall. then, you get in the mountains of north carolina, all the way into the mountains of virginia, and you're likely to get a foot of snow out of this thing. it barely clips southern new jersey.

it gets the cape on the way out. but a southern snowmaker. things are quiet on the west coast. even in the middle of the country now, there are signs that will unlock arctic air for the northeast. this week and next week, another deep pocket will go to the south. enjoy this while you've got it.

>> there are some places that want snow. the dakotas, minnesota, all the way into chicago. they're in a snow drought. they're more than a foot below normal so far this year. >> they can have ours. >> thank you, sam. coming up on "gma," dramatic, new details in the breakup murder trial. the stunning entries from the personal journal of jodi arias. also, the former teacher trying to get her job back after her previous job in adult entertainment. and inside a stunning, new book. behind the scenes of scientology. and inside a stunning, new book, behind the scenes of scientology. transitions® lenses automatically filter

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♪ [ male announcer ] you don't have to be a golf pro to walk like one. ♪ when you walk 10,000 steps a day, it's the same as walking a professional golf course. humana. health and well-being partner of the pga tour. >> now from abe 7 news. >> new this morning people dining out in san francisco will soon be able to access a restaurant's health rating at their fingerprints. today, the site yelp will post health ratings for the city restaurants online. the partnership will be announced at the national mayor's conference in washington, dc, saying it is a good way to get government information to the public. >> trouble on the bay bridge. the san mateo bridge is the

alternate beside bart and it is getting busy from hayward to foster city at 20-minute drive. the problem with the bay bridge was an early stall that had things backed up behind the lights. southbound 680 at 24 four cars involved in the early accident. the damage is done and slow great concord, southbound, and north 101, an accident cleared to the shoulder. >> thank you very much. when we come back our

>> check out this picture as we look back, it is hazy, so our first item, yes, "spare the air" day, more poor air quality possible across the bay and all of us have no burning of wood. also have fog to the north and the possibility of black ice as temperatures are below freezing and frosty in the east bay and rest of us in the mid-to-upper 30's and 43 in oakland and san

see her right there. she used to work in adult films. and she changed her life, and wanted to be a teacher. but when the school district found out about her former life, they fired her. she's fighting to get her job back and said the changes she made in her life should send a positive message to her kids. we're going to have that story this morning. >> good teachers are wonderful to have in classrooms. also ahead, the explosive new book about scientology. the church noted for celebrity members like tom cruise, is of course, fighting back. we'll take an inside look at what's inside the book and what has the church up in arms. and supermodel wars. why this victoria's secret model is at the center of a multimillion lawsuit right now. let's get to the latest own the jodi arias trial. explosive details yesterday, including the revelation she may have lied to her own diary. abc's ryan owens has that from

phoenix. >> i know i didn't take travis' life. >> reporter: jodi arias lied to police. but was she also deceiving herself? this morning, a never-before-seen look at the admitted killer's journal, seized by police from her bedroom in her grandparents' california home. on this page obtained by abc news, arias writes, travis is dead. what happened? travis, what is this? the entry comes days after she stabbed and shot travis alexander in june 2008. three days after his body was found, another bizarre entry. it just feels like he hasn't called me in too long. i hear him singing. i hear him laugh. on wednesday, prosecutors played more of the interrogation tapes from after her arrest. arias repeatedly says she didn't kill alexander. but if she did, she would do it very differently. >> i don't think i could stab him. i think i would have to shoot him continuously, until he was

dead. >> nothing but the truth, so help you god? >> i do. >> reporter: the jury heard from the man arias rented a car from where she drove to alexander's mesa, arizona home. when she returned it, the floor mats were missing. and something else. >> there were stains in the backseat. >> what was the color of the stain? >> it appeared to be cool aid. >> reporter: prosecutors say, it's more evidence she committed the crime and tried to cover it up. her attorneys will argue she killed in self-defense, that alexander abused her. a defense that doesn't appear to the square with what she wrote in her journal. the final page we obtained, if i ever have a son, i'll name him alexander. for "good morning america," ryan owens, abc news, phoenix. >> wow. all right, now, to the colorado science teacher that was fired after school officials found out she once starred in pornographic movies.

gio benitez has the story. good morning, gio. >> reporter: good morning, elizabeth. what this california teacher hoped would end as a story of redemption, as become a cautionary tale. what you do in the past can come back to haunt you. and this morning, her porn actress past may have gotten her banned from working in a classroom again. her 12-year-old and 13-year-old middle school students knew her as miss halas, the science teacher. but fans of 32-year-old stacie hal halas, knew her as tiffany six, the porn star. now, she's out of a job, banned from teaching. a panel of three california judges unanimously agreeing tuesday that her hard-core past has no place in the classroom. >> we've had a viral buzz going around with 12-year-olds and 13-year-olds showing porn. >> reporter: the oxnard school district initially fired halas last april, after students discovered she performed in at least 18 x-rated films. from 2005, to 2006.

in a behind-the-scenes interview, halas reportedly talks about the dangers of her double-life. >> it's a little risky, wouldn't you think? >> why? >> because i'm a teacher. >> do you think if they find it you'll get fired? >> questionable. >> reporter: she never starred in pornos while teaching. in october, she appealed and asked for her job back. but the state officials say her testimony was misleading and evasive statements and outright falsehoods. >> we're the professionals. we should have a high standard for all of us. >> reporter: halas' attorney says she has changed her life. and now, only wants to be a teacher. >> she feels by redeeming herself, she sees it as a positive message to anybody. >> reporter: her attorney told me halas performed in the

x-rated films because she needed money. she may now appeal to the ventura county superior court. >> right. the fact she was in the classroom at the same time that she was making those movies. >> yeah. a full-time teacher right after that. >> okay. thank you, gio. let's go to sam and the weather. >> we're going to start with pictures of the snow. rare snowfall in areas like maine, we'll begin with this. five inches of snow, and pictures from portland, maine. you're getting a shot of arctic air. that means we could be seeing in the next couple of weeks, a change in the northern patterns. look at the windchills, at 10, 15 below right here. these windchills could get as low as 40 below from northern minnesota to northern maine. let's look at the south. a lot of the places in the south will pick up rainfall before they get into some snow. and atlanta talking about snow. and with the arctic air behind all of this, a little icing going away. no fear, atlanta. it will be a little bit of a

rough drive. but wsb will step you through it. raleigh, an inch to two inches of rain. the rain/snow divider there. getting the rain first. and the snow as the arctic air rushes in behind the system. looking at the big board. it's calm and quiet once you get to the west. san francisco, gusty wind on the west coast t >> all of america's weather was brought to you by smucker's. josh? elizabeth? george? lara? >> every bit of america's weather. coming up, a startling new look at the church of scientology, inside the pages of an explosive, new book. and love scams.

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♪ back, now, at 7:40 with scientology in the spotlight this morning. it's the subject of a big, new book causing major waves. abc's dan harris has been covering scientology for years. he's here, now, with the sorry. good morning, dan. >> reporter: good morning. scientology is fighting back

against the book by lawrence wright, about the inner workings of the faith and some of its famous members. >> when you're a scientologist, you see life but you see things the way they are. >> reporter: from celebrity members like tom cruise, to the legions of worker bees behind the scene, lawrence wright's new book "going clear" is a sweeping look at scientology. >> life after death is life after death. >> reporter: the book traces the faith from its founding by l. ron hubbard, to its current leader, david miscavige. >> i've never met a more compassionate being. we're lucky to have you. thank you. >> reporter: some high-ranking church officials have accused miscavige of being abusive. debbie cook once ran the mecca in florida. >> i witnessed mr. miscavige

physically punching. >> reporter: she testified that she saw miscavige punch a scientology executive. while he never hit her, he did order his secretary to do so. you're in a room with him. and he tells his secretary to slap you? >> yes. >> reporter: hard enough that you fell down? >> yes. >> reporter: why did he ask her to do this? >> he was displeased how i was answering a question. it wasn't what he wanted to hear, in some way. >> reporter: church has claims that miscavige punched or slapped anyone, has dismisses cook as a defrocked apostate who is defaming the church. the church dismisses as lies, david miscavige's own niece. she says more than two decades ago, she and other children of scientology's elite sea were given grueling tasks, ranging from weeding to planting to hauling rocks for walls.

>> they would pass it up. and it would go in the wheelbarrow. >> reporter: you were 6 years old? >> 6 to 12. >> reporter: did it cross your mind that most children on earth are not living this way? >> no. not at that time. >> overnight, the church provided abc news with a statement. attacking lawrence wright's book as an assail of bizarre tales by confessed liars, consumed with a media smear campaign against the church. back to you. >> fascinating stuff. coming up here, the victoria's secret model at the center of a multimillion-dollar fight. it's happening right now. we're going inside the high-stakes battle over her career. and hi, there. i'm not josh elliott. but i have a cute "play of the day" today. we'll meet the young girls behind the viral facebook campaign to get a new puppy. freeze. >> it is frozen. >> it's already frozen.

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right then, here's "the play of the day." >> it was a play of a couple of days ago. it's a story we brought you. five siblings that wanted a puppy so bad. the parents said yes but only if an appeal on facebook got 1 million likes, which took them exactly 13 hours. take a look. meet the kordell family from mansfield, massachusetts. this all-american family of seven seems to have it all. except for one thing. >> our dog passed away. and they wanted a new dog. they kept asking for a new dog. we were trying to delay them. >> reporter: when the kids begged for a little buddy, mom and dad weren't so quick to give in. >> i walked up to them and said, flatout, if it gets 1 million likes on facebook on a photo, can we get a dog? >> i said, sure. if you get 1 million likes, you can get a dog. >> reporter: the children posting this photo to facebook and getting more than 1 million

likes in just seven hours. >> they earned it. they proved dad wrong. that's for sure. >> it's now around 4 million likes. it's great to have the whole family here. mom and dad, ryan and ebie. welcome to you all. when you said 1 million, did that sound like a completely unattainable number? >> it did. i knew that we have, you know, a few hundred friends on facebook. i didn't think it was possible that it would spread so far or at least not so quickly. we'd leaat least have some time. >> a week or two. >> lara spencer likes this story. when did it start to takeoff? >> around 11:00 at night, we realized this was bigger than we ever imagined it would be. >> well, you have a dog on the way. this is not -- this is a dog up for adoption by the humane

society by new york. >> your dog might look like this. >> what dog are you going to get? and when can we expect it? >> whoa. >> what kinds of dogs are we looking for? >> what are you thinking about? >> we probably will get a lab or a golden retriever or some sort of mix. >> that's terrific. what do you want? >> a chocolate lab. >> oh, yeah. >> yeah. we've got to up it from 1 million. maybe go 10 million next time, or 20 million. kids, by the way, congratulations. really, really well done. we're going to check back in with you. we want to meet the dog, okay? >> the cornell family. again, adopt these dogs. so many pets at the humane society of new york. coming up, a big "deals & steals" you're not going to want to miss. go nowhere. i was living with this all-over pain.

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>> now from abc7 news, good morning, i am eric thomas. two dozen of the best surfers from around the world are on way to the san mateo coast. for the first time if three years the mavericks contest will take place on sunday. big waves are forecast near half moon bay for the big competition. right, mike? >> temperatures in the 60's with sneak are ways possibly tomorrow and sunday and rip currents. so be careful. "spare the air" for everyone today. temperatures hit the low-to-mid 60's this weekend. >> stalls at san mateo bridge toll plaza the alternate to problems continuing on the bay bridge and no 20-minute drive from hayward to foster city. here is the backup at the bay bridge, early stall, long gone, but, now, big delays there and

we have reports of a hit-and-run accident in an h.o.v. line so be aware there further delays moving into san francisco and the bay bridge. bart is the great way to go this

♪

[ cheers and applause ] great crowd out there in times square this morning. energetic crowd right here in times square, as well. hi, to robin. as you all know, she is at home but getting ready to return real soon. welcome back to elizabeth vargas. >> nice to be here. we told you in the first half hour about that notre dame football star who says he was the victim of a, quote, sick joke. that he was fooled into believing he was in love with a woman he had met online. he was catfished, if you remember the documentary about this. well, we're going to get into that phenomenon, whether or not his story is true and he was a victim or not, many people are victimized online by people purporting to be somebody else. we're going to get to that. >> that's a strange story. >> it really is. >> we can't stop talking about it. or this, for that matter. multimillion-dollar model wars. it's a big battle brewing over a

victoria's secret supermodel and why she is under fire right now. oh, wow. hello. sam, can you hold it up, please? >> yes, i can. >> can you guess how many calories are in the bowl of mac and cheese that sam holds in his hand? take a bite, sam. >> no. no. >> infinity? >> no. >> it's been named one of the year's highest-calorie chain restaurant dishes. we have other belt-busting winners for our friend, samuel j. >> sam, what about if you were wearing the scuba gear? >> if i was wearing the scuba gear from yesterday, yes. but i'm not. so, no. and by the way, folks, things you need for your home, that you don't even know about until you see our secret "deals & steals." or as josh calls it, shopping. wait until you see what's inside the boxes that ends up at josh's home. when he buys every one of them. >> this is great.

>> all household items. right here on "gma." good stuff. >> a lot of savings. first, some news from josh. we're going to begin with news from north africa, where seven possibly eight american workers are being held hostage after terrorists attacked their bus. the defense secretary said this morning that the u.s. will take all necessary steps to resolve the crisis 37 there are unconfirmed reports at this hour that algerians have launched an attack. the master mind, this man, known as mr. marlboro who caught rich smuggling cigarettes and other goods. meanwhile, he was trying to hide in one of the airport

vehicle on the runway. no flights have been affected. and some new trouble for boeing's newest jet, the 787 dreamliner. european regulators have now joined the faa in grounding the plane over concerns of the batteries overheating. and a string of recent incidents. and lance armstrong's big confession to oprah winfrey airs tonight. but this morning, we're learning of another setback. the international olympic committee has stripped armstrong of the bronze medal he won in sydney in 2000, because of his involvement in doping. turning, now, to the economy, a milestone in the housing recoveries. new figures show home foreclosures dropping 17% to a six-year low last month. and construction of new homes hit a nearly five-year high. people with egg allergies will soon be able to get a flu shot. the fda has approved an egg-free vaccine that will be available soon, but only for people 18 to 49 years old. a new study confirms the regular flu shot is indeed safe for

pregnant women and their unborn children. and a remarkable story, now, from that helicopter crash in central london just yesterday. the helicopter clipped a construction crane, burst into flames, killing two people, injuring more than a dozen in the process. but the two crane workers survived. why? because they both overslept for the first time in years and were late getting to work. and finally, something of a controversy at subway. a growing movement, now, online has people getting out their measuring tapes showing that the sandwich chain's famous foot-long sub actually falls one inch short. >> oh, no. >> 11 inches. >> really? >> the company has yet to respond, although i'm going to guess many of you are going to find ways to respond in 140 characters on twitter right now. people have a lot of time on their hands. >> yes, there is. it's a big deal. >> i love it.

under the bus, you went. it is a fascinating one. >> it is. we should do "pop news" on that note. can we just go? thursday morning, good morning to you and to you guys. and we begin with what could be a brand-new revolution in jeans. wrangler's newest line is called spa denim. >> what? >> they're moisturizing jeans. >> no. >> yeah. turns out denim can be dehydrating. so, this new line -- it can be. it can be. it chafes your skin. it can be dehydrating. this new line of wrangler jeans has a silky-smooth effect for your skin that lasts up to 15 days. the moisture in your jeans can also be refreshed with a spray. and you can choose between aloe, olive extract or smooth legs -- >> wait. >> sam?

>> we're supposed to believe that you get these jeans, right? and they have the moisture in the jeans. and after laundering them, you take your jeans out, you flip them inside-out, and you spray-coat them with the moisture. >> only after 15 days. >> that's better than using lotion? >> i think this is a supplement. will you call wrangler? >> i'm just asking. >> or just drink a glass of water. >> all questions directed towards wrangler. the jeans are $140. so, perhaps, sam, your idea is better. >> i don't know. i'm just asking. >> just moisturize before you put them on. but they are getting a lot of buzz online. so, we thought we'd bring it to you. and thank you, all, for that. mom-to-be shakira is looking stunning in newly-released photos. the pregnant singer releasing these pictures of herself. in a bikini top. >> gerard pique. >> he's a big soccer star. >> huge. >> is he on your favorite team? >> he is. >> he is. no wonder. the pictures are beautiful. but there's more to this story.

the colombian is also putting her celebrity to good use, inviting fans to a virtual baby shower, organized with unicef. instead of sending gifts, people can purchase gifts for babies living in extreme poverty. a really nice way to give back. >> and gifts like vaccines and mosquito nets. really life-saving stuff. great for her. >> simple things you can do to change the world. thank you, shakira. also in "pop news," "vogue" magazine, celebrating new york first responders during hurricane sandy. the beautiful editorial shot by annie leibovitz features top models with some of new york's bravest, who look every bit as stunning as the women, i might add, love the photos. the firefighters are from far rockaway, one of the areas hardest hit by the storm. the spread also celebrates the coast guard and the nypd special ops unit, along with police dogs. the february issue of "vogue" hits newsstands on january 22nd. >> what a wonderful idea. that's terrific. >> and beautifully shot. check that out.

and we go, now, to a little movie news. we've just seen a trailer -- i've just seen it, for matthew mcconaughey's newest movie. once again, an incredible body of work. i might add. i did. it shows mmc doing his finest work in the film, it's called "mud," in which he plays a fugitive hiding on an abandoned boat, waiting to reunite with his lady love, played by reese witherspoon. the film is featured at sundance. and already getting big buzz. not just from me. "mud" in limited release, on april 26th. >> he does something different every time. >> he is a great actor. people think about him for his -- >> are you his publicist? >> i'm moonlighting. >> and mmc? >> that's my special name for him. he doesn't know that. >> we have to get him here soon. now, we have to -- >> on an initial name basis. >> he calls me l.s. hey, sam. >> george, we've been talking, moisturizing jeans. would you wear jeans that --

>> i don't think i would. i'd be nervous they would wash out. >> you say in colorado -- >> i would because it's dry there. >> and you guys said, there were golf gloves that -- >> have aloe in them. they're wonderful. >> i don't know. there's pros and cons. but folks really seem to go both ways on this. let's get to the boards. maybe wrangler's on to something. in washington, d.c., we're going to show you some pictures of washington, d.c. with a little bit of rain in the forecast. probably getting snow. and certainly it's the changeover behind it. also, into atlanta, one of the busiest airports in the world, ladies and gentlemen. if atlanta has changing weather that could get slick and icy and maybe a little snow, you need to check with your air carriers. just about everything on this planet goes through atlanta at one time or another that flies in the air. here's the low that moves off the southeastern coastline. there's cold air behind it. it's the changeover that may put a little bit of black ice in the situation in atlanta with a little bit of collection of snow. so, here's the warmer temperatures going on in the southwest. it's finally about time you get

warmer in l.a. i like that for you. 78 degrees tomorrow. that's the weather around the nation. >> we're taking a picture right now in times square. and we're on the air. but let's go back inside to -- >> lara. >> thank you, all. and here's a look at what's coming up on our "gma morning menu." football romance hoax. was manti te'o the latest victim of catfishing, duped into love, in an elaborate online scam?

and inside the multimillion-dollar model war. the high-stakes battle over this victoria's secret angel. plus, we have huge "deals & steals." must-have products for your home. we thank you, tory. all that coming up on "good morning america," live in times square. nk you, tory. all that coming up on "good morning america," live in times square. ♪ don't stop what you do ♪ i won't stop loving you ♪ because i love the things you do ♪ ♪ whatever you do, don't stop [ female announcer ] the laughing cow cheese. rich, creamy decadence, but with only 35 calories a wedge, feel free to laugh all you want. ♪ whatever you do, don't stop [ female announcer ] the laughing cow. have you laughed today? now, three more delicious flavors to love. ♪ ♪ don't stop

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oh, it's me. i thought you were doing the pop quiz thing. >> no. it got killed. >> we're going to talk about the internet phenomenon, catfishing. people going online and fooling other people into thinking they're somebody completely different. you can change your gender, your name, your occupation, your entire life. as we told you earlier, notre dame football player manti te'o says he was the victim of an elaborate hoax. and he is not alone. listen to notre dame star linebacker manti te'o, back in october, mourning the loss of the woman he thought he loved. >> the most beautiful girl i ever met. not because of her physical beauty, but the beauty of her character. >> reporter: but this morning, it turns out that beautiful girl was really an ugly scam. te'o says this morning he was being duped, allegedly tricked by a catfish, an internet pretender who built an elaborate

fake life and then sucked him in. neve knows how he felt. he fell for megan, a girl from michigan. only to find out that she was a middle-aged mom. played out in the blockbuster documentary "catfish." why were you so captivated by her? >> it was different. it was something new. it was a little mysterious. >> reporter: now, a much wiser schulman is helping catch other "catfish" in his mtv series. >> i'm hitting to road to help people meet their online loves for the first time. >> reporter: in one episode, he meets sunny. >> he she's dating jameson, but they never met. >> he's going to be an anesthesiologist. >> he takes classes online to been an anesthesiology? >> yeah. he's so smart. >> reporter: they go searching for the truth. a devastating discovery. >> we're searching for jamison. >> uh-huh. >> is he here?

>> it's me. >> what? >> you've been pretending to be this guy, how long now? >> at least four years. >> reporter: for manti te'o, the scam was allegedly worst, not only tricking him into falling in love, but breaking his heart. convincing him his girlfriend was in a car accident. and then she died of leukemia the same day his grandmother passed away. >> six hours ago i just found out my grandma had passed away and then you take my love of my life. >> the person you're talking to has a series of family incidents, illness, oftentimes cancer, which we see a lot. >> reporter: miraculous survival. >> car accidents, things like this. something to watch out for. >> reporter: do you think we're going to see more of this kind of phenomenon? >> absolutely. so long as we're not looking people in the eye, face-to-face,

there's always going to be room, a lot of room, for deception. >> no kidding. it's really something. people are lonely. they look for love. they go online. and people can be lying to you. you never know who you're talking to. and they fall for it. it's weird because the people who do this to other people are actually themselves are often lonely people, leading lives they wish were a little more exciting. we're going to that several million-dollar fight over a stunning victoria's secret model. cadence jablonski got slapped with a huge lawsuit when she left her modeling agency to work for its rival. abc's linsey davis is here with that. >> reporter: this is the ugly side of the modeling world. the lawsuit complains that marilyn model agency plucked her and made her into a star. they say she thanked them by leaving for a rival firm.

this victoria's secret catwalker has let the cat out of the bag. it's no secret constance jablonski walked out of the runway, right out of marilyn model management, and into a rival agency. now, her former agency is going public, slapping her with a $3.3 million lawsuit. >> the modeling agency is supremely cutthroat. the model signs a contract with a beauty industry compnay, this could mean a big cut for the agent. >> reporter: jablonski began her career with marilyn, in 2008. the agency takes credit for making the 21-year-old the face of estee lauder. tripling her earnings, making her worth reportedly more than $3 million. marilyn is suing the model's new agency, dna models. arguing she was stolen away at the peak of her career. jablonski is so hot, she has two "vogue" covers next month.

>> there's some sympathy factor for the marilyn agency. because, after all, they developed her career, yet, they're not able to really reap the rewards. >> reporter: jablonski's lawyers say marilyn breached several portions of her agreement. and when she called, no one responded to her questions. she hasn't spoken about the suit, but jablonski weighed in on twitter. saying as for her bookers, i decided to move on to dna. i'm very excited with the move. and i hope you are, too. still in the midst of the mayhem over her millions, the beauty also appears to have other things in her mind. tweeting -- in nyc, you're always looking for a job, a boyfriend or an apartment. or in her case, apparently, a new agency. marilyn also represents naomi campbell and claudia schiffer. they're saying that it caused irreparable damage. they're suing her and trying to

prevent her from being able to work with dna. >> has this ever happened before? >> i think it's probably happened a time or two. >> big charges. >> it was big in the '90s, when there were supermodels. maybe that means that the supermodel is back because there's so much money at stake. >> she's a supermodel. >> she is. super. "deals & steals time." let's go to josh and tory. >> now to our secret "deals & steals." part of jumpstarting of january. we're saving money, money, money all week. and if there's one person who knows how to save said cash, tory johnson is here. >> ready? >> yes. everybody seriously logon and buy. this stuff goes, goes, goes. >> while supplies last. first up. hamilton beach. this is the set and forget slow cooker. you and sam did something the other day, where you told people

that you can save a ton of money, if you cooked at home. if you cook at home, you're going to save even more money today. >> this works for those culinarily challenged. >> yes. normally, $70 for this baby, slashed in half. 35 bucks. >> that's great. that's great. in the roast goes. you walk away. you got a roast. >> i love this company. cool gear international. they make all of these products that you can take your food to work or on the go. this is a really cute salad one. you can put the dressing at the top. and snacks in some of these. sorry. >> the bento boss. isn't that amazing? all of them are dishwasher safe. eco-friendly. normally, this is for cereal. you can put the milk and the cereal. isn't that brilliant? normally $7 to $20. but slashed in half, starting at

just $3.50. >> can i just say, though, how good are goldfish? >> this is a really fun company. that was good. product architect. these are polar bottles, water bottles. 22 ounces. made in the usa. what's amazing about these, they're great for cold or warm. and on cold beverages, it will keep your beverages twice as cold as a normal water bottle. and they happen to be beautiful. there's a huge assortment of them. they're insulated. extra cold or extra hot. normally, these are $19. slashed by more than 50%. 9 bucks. 9 bucks, baby. 9 bucks. >> you said it -- >> exactly. >> it's twice the price. >> so, ebags. what i love about these, these are scales to weigh your luggage at home before you take your checked bags to the airport. then, you have the hassle of the extra baggage fee.

i know that you never have to deal with this stuff, right? >> you put it on. and you have to unpack it. >> that's a problem, then that we have to deal with. not you. >> eight layers of clothes. >> normally, $16 to $24, from ebags. plus, travel accessories, as well. slashed in half. $8. this is one that you can't afford not to buy. >> you can play "star trek" with it. >> we're saving the last for you to do. this company is called simply stashed. we also have one on display for you to see the after of what it looks like. all of these organizational products, which are amazing for a home or an office because it really does save you time and space. you don't have to worry about finding things. you got everything hooked up at home. normally, there are three

different sizes for you to choose from. normally, these are $27 to $30. but slashed by more than 55%, $11. you can't beat that, right? don't you love these. >> great for a mud room. >> what's this home organization you speak of? >> and we also have an exclusive deal that you can only get on goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! >> logon right now. we want to thank all the companies for providing these. the codes and links and bargains all there, goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! go right now to get the good stuff. coming up, how many calories are in your favorite restaurant chain meals? find out next. coming up, how many calories are in your favorite restaurant chain meals? find out next.

>> now officer abc7 news. >> good morning, i am kristen sze. two agencies will look at collision of a tanker in the bay bridge. the tanker, "overseas raymar", scraped a bump other -- bumper on the bridge near treasure island. the board of pilots commission will discuss the crash. later they will look at fog safety rules. it could be months to determine the true cause of the crash. we hope no crashes on the roadways. sue? >> there are always a couple. it is still a nasty bay bridge backup because of an early problem with a stall that ruined the commute and 30 minutes from before the macarthur maze to san francisco. union city area southbound 880, the accident is cleared from the road on the way to hayward and eastbound geary downtown san francisco, not downtown but in the city of san francisco, two lanes are blocked.

kristen? >> thank you, sue.

>> it is a "spare the air" with poor air quality on the coast, central bay, north bay and inland east bay and moderate quality elsewhere. temperatures are still cloud in novato and santa rosa at only 27 where we [ cheers and applause ]

lots of enthusiasm out here in sometimes square. we're going to give everyone gifts this half hour, about living longer, living better, living healthier. >> that's right. we're going to talk to jen ashton. she's with us talking about medical issues. but she has a book out about living longer and looking better. and she has the tips for ladies and men. what to eat, what to drink and what to put on your skin to make you look ten years younger. >> i'll have what she's having. >> ann, is a healthy, young lady, by the way. we have amazing stories you want to hear because they're "sea rescues." they're not the kind of animals you think. if you watch "sea rescue" on saturdays, you think it's always manatees and dolphins and things. that's an otter. >> "sea rescue" on saturdays? >> saturday morning. >> saturday morning? >> on your local abc stations. >> check your local listings. you know what you want to

see, too? carla hall is here. she's in our kitchen right now, cooking up comfort food. doesn't that sound good on this chilly morning? >> it sure does. >> can't wait to get inside with her. >> it's freezing out here. we have "gma live!" coming up at 9:00 a.m. today. 9:00 a.m. "deals & steals" exclusives for our "gma live!" viewers or logger-onners. join us, won't you, goodmorningamerica.com/live. oh, george? health alert. five restaurants singled out for extreme eating awards from the center for science and the public interest. they can pack them with calories. these are way over the stop. keri glassman, the author of "the new you and improved diet." >> my heart looks looking at this plate. and people actually order this. >> where is that from? >> this is from ihop.

this is the country fried steak. if you go out the night before, you might want steak in the morning. fried eggs and two buttermilk pancakes. this is the worst combination of unhealthy fats and refined carbohydrates you can have. just to put it in perspective for people, this is like having five egg mcmuffins with ten teaspoons of sugar on top of it. >> potatoes, pancakes, steak and eggs. can we show everybody? >> 1,760 calories for breakfast. ihop has responded. they say, our menu is all about giving our guests a full range of items that fits their lifestyle. our menu also features simple and fit all under 600 calories. >> this doesn't fit anyone's lifestyle. >> johnny rockets right here, right? >> this wasn't enough for breakfast and you want to go for a big lunch, we have a double bacon cheeseburger here. four slices of bacon.

and we have the sweet potato fries. don't i don't think you're getting any of the benefits of the vitamin a when they're deep fried. >> aren't they healthier? >> i don't think you're getting the vitamin a when they're deep-fried like that. and the big apple shake. it has a full slice of apple pie mixed in it. they're going out of their way to make this as decadent as possible. >> they pulverize a slice of apple pie and put it in? >> they do. and if you want to go for a stroll after lunch, you have to walk for four to five hours. >> 3,500 calories. >> that's more calories than many people need. many people in two days. >> wow. that's something. johnny rockets responded. they say johnny rockets is well-known for hamburgers, fries and shakes, there are other menu options for those who have specific dietary needs or have made a new year's resolution to lose weight. >> if you're tempted if your dining partner goes for that. >> we showed this before. supermac and cheese. >> this is from uno's.

this is the deep dish macaroni and three cheese. we don't just stop at cheese here. they don't just stop at cheese. >> three cheeses. >> don't think you're going meat-free. the alfredo sauce in here has chicken fat in it. and it's topped with the ritz cracker toppings. there's two days' worth of sodium and three days' of saturated fat. >> oh, my gosh. and the calorie count is, almost 2,000 calories. 1,980. >> the amount that most people need for a day. >> chicago grill has responded. we offer our guests both nutritious and indulgent great-tasting food choices. and 100% nutritional transparency, via nutrition centers in our lobbies. all of them are offering plenty of choices on the menu. that's their right. >> absolutely. but they are. they're transparent. but we shouldn't necessarily go for those choices. >> know what you're getting. >> know what you're getting. be aware. >> keri glassman, thanks very much. let's go over to sam. >> i have barbara and mary with me. we're talking about money,

money, money, this week. and this morning, there could be a big financial windfall waiting for you at home. barbara from wisconsin knows she's getting some money this morning. but she doesn't exactly know how much. do you exactly know how much? >> no. >> not exactly. and mary, who is director the wisconsin state treasurer. am i right with that? did i get everything right? >> unclaimed property. >> so, let's just get to it. let's get to the check right now. let's show you how much barbara, this is for you. is this crazy? it's $26,000. it was supposed to be $2,000. this is -- what do you do when you get money like this? unclaimed money. what do you want to do with it? >> well, i have a vacation coming up. >> i think we're padding that vacation with lovely luxuries here.

mary, i have to ask you. when i hear unclaimed money, i don't believe it can happen to anybody. i mean, like how did this happen? how do you find unclaimed money? >> we have claims examiners who spend a great deal of time looking for owners such as barbara every day. >> is this taxes i didn't get back? refunds i didn't get back? >> not generally. it's abandoned safe deposit boxes, securities, uncashed payroll checks. that sort of thing. >> oh, fantastic. somebody knows you didn't get your money. if you want to find out that money like this can come your way, i'm not talking $2,000. i'm talking $26,000. go to goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! and we'll show you the top ten ways to look for money. it's sitting right there, waiting for you. let's get to the weather. ladies, congratulations. thank you. so wonderful that you're looking for other people's money. i love that. i didn't know things like that existed.

let's get to the boards. somebody could find some money for sam champion, please. if you could, just look for any money at all. miami, florida, our twitter and facebook pictures will go on to mt. rainier. two gorgeous spots. we let you know what it looks like live. there's dense fog and air quality alert going in the northwest. that air is stagnant. it's not going anywhere. and a hit of rain first. then, colder air that gives you ice and snow into the southeast. big snow totals for southern areas that don't normally see this kind of snow. in the middle of the country, it's comfo >> we're live in times square. all of that was brought to you by purina. now, inside, to elizabeth. >> all right, sam. thank you so much.

it's great to have "gma" senior medical correspondent, dr. jennifer ashton here. she's here with your book, "your body beautiful: clockstopping secrets to staying healthy, strong and sexy in your 30s, 40s and beyond." it's out in paperbook. and she's going to tell us two things that reveal our age. our skin and our waistline. >> exactly. >> it's great to have you here. >> thank you. >> i have to say, olympic athlete dara torres and dr. oz have singled your book out as being phenomenally valuable to them. >> it meant so much to me. >> what sets it apart? >> there's a lot of things that work. and there's a lot of information that people are aware of. it's putting it into practice in very simple, easy to implement, five-week plans. it's very effective and easy to do. it becomes a habit. and that's the key. >> is it only for women? >> the book is written, directed at women. but we're finding a lot of women are reading it. and saying to our spouse or partner, you know what? you should try this. and some of it works for men,

too. >> the first thing you say is a dead give away of our age is our skin. and the number one thing we should be doing every day is exfoliating? >> as we get older, our skin turnover goes down. you need to cleanse, you need to exfoliate and you need to moisturize. when you talk about exfoliating, you can buy a device like this. there's a range of prices available. or you can use salt or sugar at home. for moisture, go to the natural and pure. go to the salad aisle in your grocery store. i have all of these in my bathroom. it looks like a kitchen. coconut oils, safflower oil. sunflower oil. >> aren't you going to smell oddly? >> you don't smell. you're not greasy. it gets immediately absorbed into our body. the skin is the largest organ of the body. you're reading a lot of ingredients you can't pronounce, you don't want to put those on your skin. >> i hear about putting it on my

body. but my face? isn't it going to cause breakouts. >> try it. no breakouts. immediately gets absorbed. >> what about argan oil? >> all of these can be good. it's finding out what works for you. try these first. they're very inexpensive. you'll save hundreds of dollars a year. >> moving on for the face line. i love the quote catherine deneuve. that people of a certain age, is forget your fanny and focus on your face. >> that's right. >> can you be too thin? and doesn't that also age you? >> you can. and absolutely. that's one plus of getting older. even in your 30s and 40s. in the book, i talk about a five-day, two-day eating plan. it's not a diet. it's sustainable. it's effective. monday through friday, you're going to be superstrict. eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. avoid the bad carbs on the weekend. you get to reward, reset, renew, recharge. you want a bagel? pasta, pizza? >> all of it? >> over the course of a year, the math wins.

five days beats two days. your metabolism gets reset. and the weight will come off, safely. and it will sustainable. i've done this. my husband has done it. my kids have done it. it's worked for so many of my patients. it's pretty easy. >> and very quickly. how can you tell if you're too thin? what should your body weight -- >> i think we have to strive for inner health. when people start to say to you, boy, you look really thin. understand that type of thinness does not often mean beauty, youth and good health. >> you can look a little too -- >> too -- right. >> all right. thank you so much, jen. it's fun to talk to you. "your body beautiful" in paperback and bookstores now. get it. a lot of great advice in there. and coming up, sam, with the animals who have been given a second chance of life at sea.

♪ we're all excited because however impossibly, sam's morning show, "sea rescue," back for a second season. we have some rescued animal that have already been rescued by this remarkable team at seaworld. >> we're joined by angie, who is an animal ambassador at sea

world here. in the show, we show you all kinds of things that get rescued. and you might think it's only going to be manatees, dolphins, only beluga whales or gray whales. but we come up with incredible stories. angie, this is panama, the pelican, who is a good example of a baby rescue. >> panama was rescued when he was 9 to 10 weeks old. we're not sure what happened to the parents. they had provided great care. but they disappeared. chances are they were probably killed. pelicans become victims of humans all the time. >> one of the worst things. one of the things, if you get anything from this segment other than the animals are cute, fishing line are -- >> feel this. >> and what makes it so great to fish with makes it so dangerous to them. it can amputate limbs. >> it can go around their beaks and lead to starvation. orphaned animals is such a labor

of love at seaworld. anyone want to feed it? >> josh can do it. >> i would love to. >> oh, my god. he went away. >> panama's gone. we won't be feeding panama right now. >> josh, what did you do? >> panama, come here. panama, breakfast. >> he can take it back. i don't have anything to do with this. what kind of fish is this? what should i do? >> you should come around. >> i'm not going to feed him, no way. >> just show it to him. we're going to move on over here. ready? >> lara and josh, not working -- >> we're going to let panama have that. we have another one. >> we have an alligator. >> this is katrina. >> after your reaction to the pelican. >> one of the things that we talk about, a lot of times weather disasters can hurt animals, as well. and in not the way you might

think. katrina was evacuated with a family that was raising it as a pet, to another town. but when they moved back, they couldn't take katrina with them. so, seaworld said they would take care of this and raise this alligator. and we just want to tell folks, alligators are not something you should have as a pet. i'm not fond of that. it's not your personal thing. but it's mine. >> they're great animals and being able to give them a second chance at life is what seaworld really likes. >> and saturday morning on abc. >> "sea rescue." check your local listings. sam, congratulations. coming up, "the chew," and carla hall getting us through the winter. coming up on "gma" live, a surprise for josh and sam. goodmorn

this morning, we're cooking with love. that's the name of our friend,

carla hall's, cookbook. love your work on "the chew." i love these recipes. today, we thought it was a perfect morning to think about comfort food. it's chilly. it's winter. >> yes. >> these are two delicious recipes you want to try. let's start. >> finally winter. it has some crazy, wacky weather. it should start the same. we're going to put olive oil in the pot. >> what is the soup? >> we're making a sweet potato/tomato bisque. everything in there, celery. a jalapenos because you like a little spice. and a little bit of salt. just a pinch. the salt goes in the oil. it's already in there. and you're going to stir that, lara. you're going to cook it until it has some nice color. this is where you're getting your flavor. then, we're going to add some

veggie stock. yes. all of that -- it's going to get into our soup. we're going to add sweet potatoes. why not do tomato. >> when you think about sweet potato. instead of sugar you're adding sweet potato, which is fiber and a little more flavor. and that viscosity. oh. >> they really like it. >> that's going to cook. then, you're going to have a beautiful soup. we didn't add our herbs, basil and thyme. and we're going to add a little bit of cream. and salt and pepper to taste. and then, we're going to whiz it up like this. this is an emersion blender. >> if you don't have one. >> if you don't have one, you can use a blender. or if you don't have one, you can eat it chunky. >> rich, warm.

>> what is that silky sandwich. >> grilled cheese, pesto as you know it. instead of basil, we're using arugula and parsley. and we're putting in artichokes. you get that nice tang. >> that's so amazing. >> you use too much, you can really overpower the dish. right there, it's a nice, subtle touch. >> yeah. >> encourage the dip. today on "the chew" we're talking about leftovers. this soup is perfect for leftovers. and the pesto, boom. >> this is the top three of the year for me. so good. i love the cookbook, everybody. "cooking with love." we'll have the recipes for you on goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! and check her out on "the chew." we'll be right back.

carla hall's gone. we're going to keep on cooking here. tomorrow, red carpet trends for less. >> and "gma live!" let's go. time to go.

thanks for watching. >> something big's happening. >> what? i thought, "the red cross does katrina.

>> now from abc7 news. >> governor brown will attend a uc board of regents meeting in san francisco, talking about the proposed budget on the impact on the system. he wants to keep talk of tuition or increases off the agenda. frances is here with a warm-up forecast. >> warmer forecast but a "spare the air" day today with poor to moderate air quality around the bay area. a cool start this morning in the 30's and 40's but this afternoon we will see low 60's, 62 in san jose, and oakland, and 58 in san francisco. sue? >> palo alto north 101, an accident here very slow traffic moving up. another stall south 288 at 880 in san jose and very slow traffic behind the bay bridge toll plaza. all morning it has been announcer: it's "live with kelly

and michael." today, from the new film "broken city," catherine zeta jones. and star of the series "white collar," matt bomer. and the co-hosts take the president's fitness test as we continue our workout with us week. plus, you may have a chance to win $100,000, so you definitely want to hear our special announcement. all next on emmy-award winning "live." [captioning made possible by disney-abc domestic television] announcer: now here are kelly ripa and michael strahan! [cheers and applause] ♪ [cheers and applause] ♪ [cheers and applause] kelly: